


Braids

by Littledanceingdragons



Category: Fairy Tail
Genre: Anger, Angst, Braids, Cultures, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Maybe - Freeform, Mental Breakdown, Self Confidence Issues, Self-Hatred, The Author Regrets Nothing, gets sad and then soft, hair styles, headcanons, may or may not change the ending, nothing in detail so read at your own risk, super soft at the begining, theres an impication of sex at the end
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-28
Updated: 2020-09-28
Packaged: 2021-03-07 17:08:34
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,189
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26691184
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Littledanceingdragons/pseuds/Littledanceingdragons
Summary: Gray had been going through a rough time. He was caught in a web of new pain that no one can see. His list of tasks seemed so big and impossible. He couldn’t even make it on time to go to his hair cut appointment. There’s been many comments from council members about his hair that was getting longer. His eyes constantly were being blocked by his messy hair. At some point he started to shove it in a ponytail. He doesn’t know when his hair got long enough to shove it in a ponytail.Natsu has been staring at him recently and it’s unsettling Gray. Maybe he doesn’t like my hair? He quickly dismisses the thought. Natsu never cared about hair. It doesn’t take long before Natsu shows up at his house. His warm hands shove Gray’s tired body back into the house. He falls asleep with Natsu’s hands in his hair. He wakes up with a beautiful elaborate braid in his hair.His dark hair is weaved in an artistic style that keeps the horrible strands out of his eyes. He knows the style of braid, Dravic braids are all extremely tight and loose at the same time. His thoughts wonder slightly, wanting to know what they represent.Shrugging he goes to the guild with his new hair style.
Relationships: Gray Fullbuster & Mirajane Strauss, Natsu Dragneel/Gray Fullbuster
Comments: 10
Kudos: 83





	Braids

**Author's Note:**

  * For [JaciSerigala](https://archiveofourown.org/users/JaciSerigala/gifts).



> uh sooooooooo trans gray is impiled and uh hope you enjoy it!

Gray had been going through a rough time. He was caught in a web of new pain that no one can see. His list of tasks seemed so big and impossible. He couldn’t even make it on time to go to his hair cut appointment. There’s been many comments from council members about his hair that was getting longer. His eyes constantly were being blocked by his messy hair. At some point he started to shove it in a ponytail. He doesn’t know when his hair got long enough to shove it in a ponytail. 

Natsu has been staring at him recently and it’s unsettling Gray.  _ Maybe he doesn’t like my hair?  _ He quickly dismisses the thought. Natsu never cared about hair. It doesn’t take long before Natsu shows up at his house. His warm hands shove Gray’s tired body back into the house. He falls asleep with Natsu’s hands in his hair. He wakes up with a beautiful elaborate braid in his hair. 

His dark hair is weaved in an artistic style that keeps the horrible strands out of his eyes. He knows the style of braid, Dravic braids are all extremely tight and loose at the same time. His thoughts wonder slightly, wanting to know what they represent. 

Shrugging he goes to the guild with his new hair style. Natsu smiles at the sight of him and Gajeel wacks the other on the shoulder. “ I can’t believe you did it. “ Gajeel hisses in Natsu's ear but Gray just rolls his eyes. Settling down right next to Natsu without a care. Gajeel won’t stop staring at him and with an irritated expression he flips the braid over one shoulder and glares at the dragon slayer. 

Wendy stares at Gray as well when he’s leaving for a meeting. He is tired of people staring. At the council they stare like children. “ I didn’t know you were Dravic. “ the council member is someone Gray doesn’t even remember. He stares at them with the deadest expression he can manage. “ I’m not. “ he growls, eyes narrowing. Everyone stops and looks at them. Doran speaks up after that. “ Natsu is Dravic and Natsu is also Gray’s best friend. “ He explains without missing a beat. 

“ He also tends to braid people’s hair when it’s long. “ Dorain lies smoothly and Gray nods slightly. “ Either way it’s none of your business. “ He says it calmly with malice. The council member doesn’t talk to them after that. Gray heads back to the guild while he has time. Checking in with Mirajane so Master Makarov doesn’t get concerned. His team is gone, likely off on a job. It’s Mirajane who leans towards him and asks if he is dating Natsu. 

He blinks before saying no, eyeing the other confused. “ I was just asking because the braids he put in your hair means I love you. “ she mentions without pausing in cleaning a cup. 

Gray stills slightly. 

“ In a sibling way or? “ he asks it uncertainly because he doesn’t  _ want  _ to get his hopes up. He can’t get his hopes up. Mira just laughs and smiles at him. “ It is actually a tradition of theirs to braid their lover's hair in that style! “ Gray nearly drops his drink.  _ What.  _

“ He braided your hair in a marriage proposal way! “ 

Oh. 

_ Oh.  _

His ears turn pink and his hands start shaking. “ And before you ask Gray, I am certain. '' Mira places a gentle hand on his arm. “ You deserve to be happy too, Gray. Don’t forget that. “ the words are soft but Gray hears them with surprising clarity. 

It’s not until after his heart stops pounding and his thoughts stop being a whirl wind that it hits him. 

_ Natsu loves me.  _

His walk home is spent smiling and feeling so happy he feared he might burst. Gray had walked into his home laughing lightly when his cat ran to his ankles. She starts yelling at him, demanding affection and food. He snorts slightly, feeling giddy he scratches her behind the ears. Gray feeds her and gets ready for bed without thinking too much of anything. 

He wakes up with knots in his long dark hair and comes to the conclusion he has to take the braids out. Scowling he brushes his hair after untangling it. Gray goes to the guild the next morning with a frown and his hair up in a bun. Part of him wants to just march up to Natsu and demand he re-braid his hair. He can feel Natsu’s eyes on him as he sits on his bar stool. Mira notices why he’s so angry looking. “ You really liked those braids huh? “ She asks him, setting the plate down in front of him. 

It’s filled with his favorite foods and he knows he didn’t order it. Sighing loudly he nods. “ I liked them. “ Gray scowls slightly. “ I had to take them out because I woke up with knots in my hair. “ He says and he can feel Natsu’s eyes on him. “ Gray. “ The dragon slayer walks up behind him and he half turns at his voice. Natsu gently grabs his hand and tugs him off the stool. Gray follows without a thought. Well that’s a lie, he’s thinking about how nice it feels to have Natsu’s hand in his. 

When warm hands twist and gently tug his hair into such a perfect place Gray melts. His eye’s fall closed and he feels so safe. There’s something about  _ knowing _ that the braids mean I love you. Gray wants to say it, he wants to voice it. He knows there is something about giving a voice to it. To bring it to life even more than it already is. Breaking the tension and silence between them will absolutely be the most beautiful feeling he could feel. 

If Natsu can make Gray feel so much just by braiding his hair he wonders what it will be like to not hold this to himself anymore. How satisfying would it be to say  _ I love you _ and watch Natsu process it. And maybe just maybe he will say it back. At this point Gray is almost melted against the other. Natsu is managing to let Gray lean against his chest while he braids his hair. His hair is half done and Gray wants to say it. 

He opens his mouth but Natsu asks him something. “ Do you know what the braids mean? “His voice is soft and Gray smiles slightly. “ Yeah. “ he admits freely, not moving once. Gray can feel Natsu’s heart beat faster and he nearly snorts. There’s a silence that follows for a long time after that. Natsu’s hands finish his hair and Gray smiles, turning around to look at Natsu. His eyes are a little glassy and Gray cups his face. Natsu grabs one of his hands while Gray kisses him. Finally pulling back from Natsu he smiles. “ Thank you. “ he says softly before walking out of the room. 

Natsu comes out of the room smelling like smoke. Gray half leans on him when he sits down next to Gray. There's something warm in knowing what they are now. He kinda wants to scream about it from the guild roof. A warm familiar hand slides into his own under the table. Gray fights not to smile. “ Aw look at you two being friendly. '' Lucy coos and Gray outright laughs. “ We are best friends Lucy, catch up with the times. '' Natsu jokes and Erza snickers. The blond gets offended with Natsu and starts to argue with him. His boyfriend's grin is adorable, so adorable he kisses Natsu again. 

The dragon slayer happily kisses Gray back without a problem. “ Wait when did that happen? “ Lucy gwacks and Erza just shakes her head. “ Lucy, they have been in love with each other since they were children. “ she shares and Gray’s ears go pink. He doesn't have to look over to know Natsu is smoking. “ Stop exposing us Erza. “ Gray grumbles and Lucy’s jaw drops open. Natsu hums softly and doesn’t react other than that. Gray doesn’t balem him. Natsu has never been ashamed of anything. 

When they finally separate at the end of the day Gray feels light until it hits him. 

_ Natsu chose him.  _

Tears fill his eyes and Gray feels his knees go weak.  _ Natsu chose Gray.  _ His head is spinning and he faintly recognizes pain in his knees. Natsu needs someone better. Someone who doesn’t just make everything worse. His headaches from crying in the middle of the street. It doesn't take long for Gray to feel warmth on his shoulder. Warm and familiar like Natsu. His hands violently shake while Natsu’s warm and strong arms scoop him off the ground. Gray can’t make himself do anything other than bury himself against Natsu. 

_ Idiot now look at what you’ve done. You worried him.  _

His eyes squeeze shut, trying to fight back the tears. 

_ You are wasting his time. He needs someone that’s not so broken and damaged.  _

_ He needs someone functional not the cry baby that can’t force himself off his bathroom floor.  _

Maybe it hurts because he believes the voice. Maybe it hurts so badly because Gray knows Natsu doesn't deserve someone like him. Gray knows they fight and have screamed hurtful words they never meant. Even then, knowing that Natsu Dragneel is the brightest thing in this world, the one person Gray feels safe with. Knowing he deserves better than the man that could barely keep himself together in the face of a demon. His tears escape his eyes and Gray curses himself. 

_ Idiot you can barely keep yourself from crying. Who is to say you can even keep him safe?  _

_ You would be the cause of his death because you are worthless and all you do is drag him down.  _

Gray doesn’t remember much other than bawling his eyes out as if he is a child. Natsu doesn't put him down not once. Keeping his form tucked close against his own. Natsu lowers him down on the bed with such care it makes his heart skip a beat. “ Gray. '' his voice is filled with a sorrow and determination that nearly breaks Gray’s heart. Their mouths clash together and Gray knows what Natsu is telling him. 

_ I love you. I love you.  _

Natsu’s hands burn trails of affection all over him. Gray can’t think about anything other than him. The other has always been good at occupying Gray’s thoughts. 

The rest of the night is spent gasping on the sheets. His hands have frozen portions of the bed and Gray can’t bring himself to care. That snide little voice in the back of his head that gets so loud it drowns him is gone. Finally when his tears are dry and he is exhausted sleep comes to claim him. Some part of him is happy Natsu’s arms have warded against any nightmare that could try and sink it’s claws in. Some part of him understands now. Natsu never once stopped expressing his feelings. 

There’s a part of him that wants to say his boyfriend, his Natsu is lying. But that thought doesn't last. That voice is silenced for now and Gray couldn’t be happier. 

Slowly he falls back to sleep. The added comfort of Natsu being there makes sleep find Gray easily. Not everything in Gray agrees with him but some part of Gray wants to. His foolish heart wants to trust in his word and forget about everything else. Even if Natsu won’t abandon him something will take him at some point. Gray is not a religious man but he prays that whatever takes Natsu from him is ready to run. 

Truth be told Natsu is often the one people are afraid of. It is because Natsu is loud and bright, he never lies about his strength. Anyone that looks at Fairy Tail thinks they have to watch out for Erza, Mira and Natsu. The three most well known for their strength and power. Gray thinks they are stupid. Not because Natsu, Erza and Mira aren’t extremely powerful and could give anyone a run for their money but because they don’t realize. 

Gray would tear this world apart and everyone in it if it dared to take Natsu. Nothing and Gray means nothing will ever get away with that. Even if it was another Fairy Tail member he would rip them apart without hesitation. He is fine with people not understanding his strength the way his guild does. They don’t matter, anyone that’s not part of his family or aren’t one of his friends don’t matter. 

He has never cared less about anyone's opinion of him. Gray knows the only people in his life he needs. He also knows the one person, Natsu, the reason Gray is who he is, is everything. Natsu isn’t perfect, he’s loud and brash. Almost always ready for a fight. But he was the first to understand Gray. 

They may have been idiots back then, and they probably still are idiots but here in Natsu’s arms Gray doesn't care. 

And maybe, just maybe Natsu understands that like he does every time. 

**Author's Note:**

> Also yeah I gave Gray a cat so what?


End file.
